new puppy with ?separation anxiety

[tmv]

I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers on how to help my little one(puppy) deal with what I'm assuming separation anxiety. He is a 17 week old pomeranian. I've had him for 3 weeks. Just in the past 3-4 days, he has started to bark, yip and cry when I walk out of the room or briefly go downstairs to the laundry room. He doesn't do this with anyone else in the household and I am home all day with him. What's going on and what should I do to help him/me? It has been 15 years since I have had a puppy and I don't recall the other one doing this. We are doing crate training for 3-4 hours a day, which he seems to be doing very well with. Any and all help will be much appreciated.

[lonewolf07]

Jasper sounds like a great dog.  My dogs hate having a bath - as soon as they are finished they go outside and roll around in the dirt  = (

Giving Jasper a bath and grooming him when he is this young should get him used to it.

[tmv]

We do enjoy him. He is so spunky, yet he can be very calm and a good lap dog. Very sweet.

Luckily, at least for now, he loves to be brushed and groomed :)

[lonewolf07]

I just saw his picture - he looks like a Tribble from Star Trek or a chihuahua with lots of hair.  He's a cutie.  If he was a female our shih tzu might ask him for a "dog date".

You mentioned that you compare him to your dog, Sasha, who has passed on - I think that's natural.  We compare our huskies to huskies we've had in the past.  Can't say one is   better than the other because they are all different but it preserves the memories of the ones who have passed on.

Hope you are enjoying him - it must be interesting grooming him  = )

[tmv]

Thank you, that's very nice. He is really just a chihuahua with tons of hair. You should see him getting a bath. So tiny.

[chihuahuagrandma]

Your dog is adorable, just a fur ball, how precious....Welcome to site, wonderful people here...give your dog a hug for me....:o)
Love the pics.....

[tmv]

I just put some pictures on my profile. Thanks for asking. They really don't look much like him, but he's hard to photograph right now, lol. He wants to lick the camera or run too fast by it.

I will enjoy the days as he isn't running up and down stairs. It will be fun, let's hope he's potty trained by then. Right now he is only on hardwood floors and ceramic tile.

Thanks for everyone's input. I've got to quit comparing him to my beloved Sasha-a schipperke/chow mix that was my first baby and with us for 14 years. She's been gone 1 year last memorial day :(

[lonewolf07]

When Jasper learns how to get up and down the stairs - the fun begins = )

Our shih tzu was over two yrs old before he managed the stairs; he learned how to do it from the cat.

Puppies can be a lot of work but the rewards make it worthwhile.

He sounds like a prize puppy.  Do you have any pictures of him?  Would love to see them.

lonewolf

[peekawho]

Another thing I do, when we have to be gone for a while, is to put some wet dog food in the kong, and freeze it.  I have several in my freezer at all times!  
You do have to be careful.  I only put the frozen kongs in with the big dogs, b/c they're totally housebroken.  I wouldn't want to give that much food to an unhousebroken puppy!

Usually I just stick my finger in the canned food, and swirl it around the inside of the kong, for the puppy.  

I think he'll grow out of the clinginess.  Most of ours did.  

[tmv]

Thanks peek, I was hoping to catch you on here. I have been thinking of getting the Kong. It may just work.

He is pretty much at my side all day without the tether. I have heard of that and it's succes, but he doesn't climb or go down steps just yet and we live in a tri-level. That's when the yipping starts, when I go up or down the stairs or into our basement.

He pretty much loves his crate. He goes in it at bedtime, then our lunchtime and our dinner time, and when we're gone (3-4 hours a day plus nights). I feed in there as well. He spent almost 2 months in Petland, so he's comfortable with it.

Thank you.

[peekawho]

I always tether my new puppies to me (mostly for housebreaking purposes) and crate for meals and when I'm out of the house.

I believe the tethering fosters a close bond emotionally, lets me notice the first signs the puppy has to "go" so I can get him outside quickly, and lets me keep my hands free to do my daily household chores.

I put the snap part of the leash through my belt loop, then put it through the loop handle, securing it to the belt loop of my jeans.  I then snap the leash on him.  I go about my day, he follows me like an angel tethered to me, I get my work done, few to no accidents, no whining and crying.  
I allow him time off the tether right after he does "both" and I'm sure he's safe in the house for a while.  He enjoys the time off his leash, and occupies himself playing and seems not to notice that Moms not there for a while.  

I put him in a wire play area in the house while I shower, and have a Kong with a small amt of tasty canned dog food rubbed inside it for him to play with.  About the time I'm done, he's done and is looking for me.  

We feed in the crates, so he associates crating with good things.  We only crate when we're gone.  

This is just what I've done with all my boys. So far, its worked well.  Good luck!

[tmv]

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I do leave the radio on and don't reward him with treats while I'm away. Also, it doesn't matter who's in the room. If my children are physically touching him or playing with him, he doesn't bark when I leave, but if they're just in the room he will miss me. I babysit a 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 yr old throughout the day M-F and don't give him, Jasper(the pup) too much attention like spoiling. It really isn't as bad as it sounded in my question, but just wondering if there were any good answers out there. He is really a great puppy other than when I leave. He's already learned the commands of sit, lie down and come. I guess the problem could change as he is older and his brain develops more. Right now it's like an infant child in that when a toy or maybe me is taken away, it's gone and they're clueless sometimes.

Thanks again for the comments and others, please keep any suggestions coming. Like I said, he's really good and does play on his own with his toys. Just this one little issue.

[chihuahuagrandma]

I got a new Chihuahua puppy after my other passed away, and this little fella is so bad...he gets extra stuff cause he yells and whines terribly, so we let him hang in areas and he get all the extra stuff or else he cries and loud too...we just accepted it, that he was a needy dog and thats the way it will be....now, for the first time, he goes in my vehicle and goes bye bye, hes real good, but he can't be away from me or he cries..I got a kick out of the little fella, he never barks not ever not one time, just cries and whines when he wants me...I took as a compliment and thought I was special...Maybe I am silly..
Now, I do leave tv on for my dogs when I leave home, and they know it and I beleive its soothing to em/// good point from lonewolf....
Good luck to you and yours..

[lonewolf07]

It sounds like your puppy has chosen you as his caregiver.  That's quite an honor.

He could be suffering from separation anxiety like you mentioned or he could be trying to tell you what HE wants - anything from having you take him with you to giving him treats.  Does he bark and cry if there is someone else in the room when you leave?  If so, he really does see you as his "parent".  At this point, I would just let him bark so he won't get too manipulative.  If you don't like the barking, you could give him a toy to distract him.  No treats though because then he is being rewarded for doing something you don't want him to do.

We went through this with our lhasa apso who had parvo when he was very young and dumped by his owner.  He didn't want anybody to leave the room.  We left the TV or the radio going and tried to reward him when he didn't bark.

If you are really concerned, you could ask your vet.

lonewolf